The Memory of Time
by Ithilwen Faelivrin
Summary: Few now remembered what once was. History became legend, legend became myth, and then, myth was forgotten. Few now lived that remembered the truth of what had happened.
1. Chapter 1

**Summary: **Few now remembered what once was. History became legend, legend became myth, and then, myth was forgotten. Few now lived that remembered the truth of what had happened.

**Pairings: **Undecided

**Warnings:** None

* * *

When Kagome opened her eyes, it was to be startled by the fact that she had changed the course of the future-her present. There was no way to explain to her mother or grandfather the true cause of her devastation. Only Souta pieced the facts together from the slipped words, only Souta could truly attempt to console her, only Souta tried to understand what she and her son felt. The changed future had startled Shippo who had learned much about the path the world was supposed to have tread; five hundred years of history, all gone. All of it was gone, changed to, what was to her, an almost incomprehensible mess of old and new memories.

And then…in a society that had not forgotten demons, but rather despised them and imprisoned them, she and her son were just that.

Demons.

"Kagome-sama."

Kagome looked up from her scroll to see who had spoken, to see a figure dressed in black wearing a bird mask. "Yes, Anbu-san?" Even though the masks could not fool her, even though she knew who lurked behind the image of a bird, she refrained from showcasing that knowledge. It would do no good to boast of her abilities.

"The Sandaime wishes to speak with you."

She placed the sealing scroll she had been reading on the table next to her and stood, fully prepared for what many found to be a disorienting journey, but for her, it was nothing compared to how she had once traveled. When the world paused in its movement, Kagome found herself in the office of the Hokage with the God of Shinobi smiling benignly down to her. "Kagome, how are you and young Shippo doing?"

"Very well, Grandfather. And you?" In a graceful, inhuman movement, she greeted her grandfather with a bow and then made herself comfortable in one of the chairs before his desk.

"Drowning in paperwork, my little bird, as you can well see. But I didn't have you come here so early for pleasantries, no matter how fond I am of your presence." A pale, wrinkled hand reached for a pipe with smoke already curling out of one end. He breathed in the herbal smoke and his figure relaxed for a moment. "Animals are turning up in pieces, mauled. Left in unrecognizable bits, the surrounding areas ravaged as if some great beast had shredded the earth and knocked over the trees. Three days north of here. The locals believe it to be the work of a demon."

"What would you have me do?"

It was still dark when she made her way to one of the gates of Konoha. Already she had said her goodbyes to her family the night before, wanting to cover as much ground as possible on the first day, and as she had guessed, she was the first to arrive at the meeting point. With a sigh, she jumped into one of the trees and made herself comfortable, a slumbering kit in her lap. Languidly, she watched as her escorts for the journey, they were far too numerous, arrived. The desire to laugh threatened her; the young ninja had never killed nor truly fought nor seen the atrocities of war. They were mere children, though they were the same as she. She could see it in their eyes, blindingly naïve innocence. _Oh, _howshe _wanted _to laugh! They were fools that hadn't even registered her unhidden presence. She could not wait for the rest to arrive, to see if they were as foolish as these three.

It appeared that the rest weren't as hopeless as she had supposed, two or three had discovered her, but written her off as not a danger. More fools they.

The three team leaders acknowledged her without letting their students know. A vicious grin slid itself onto her face. Perhaps, she would have a bit of fun.

"What are we waiting for?" The squads of Kakashi, Kurenai and the Green Beast of Konoha were waiting, for who or what, they weren't certain of. Only that it was mission to a village roughly three days north of them. They were startled when a girl around their own age flew out of a tree and landed nearby, a little boy on her back. She wore a pair of crimson hakama that rode low on her hips and its matching haori wrapped tightly around her torso, leaving her midriff bare. Hanging over one shoulder was a loose braid of nearly pitch black curls. Her almond shaped eyes were a dark, unreadable color that seemed to be weighing them. They felt as if they had come up wanting when her gaze slid onto their senseis.

"They will be a burden." She walked past them and headed for the gate, leaving them behind.

"Hey! Wait a second! Whaddya mean 'burden'?!" Naruto reacted, almost automatically and shouted after her.

"An encumbrance. An impediment. Tch, you will weigh me down if this mission is to be completed properly."

"Mission, we don't _even know _what the _stupid mission is!_"

"Yeah, _what is the mission anyway?"_

Kagome turned her gaze upon the owner of the cool voice and almost laughed. It was the Sesshomaru-wannabe-clone. She waited, almost impatiently for the _hn_ to come as she answered his question with one of her own.

"Oh? And aren't you all supposed to be preparing for the Chuunin Exams?"

Oh yes, she would have her fun tormenting the little fools. Each and every single one of them_. _


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary**: Few now remembered what once was. History became legend, legend became myth, and then, myth was forgotten. Few now lived that remembered the truth of what had happened.

**Pairings**: Undecided

**Warnings**: None

**Chapter Two:**

* * *

Nine genin frantically attempted to chase a red blur through a dense forest even though there was barely a trail to chase. Having laughed at them, the girl who had appeared from the treetops had taunted them, saying that they were not worthy of even the status of genin. That, of course, did not sit well with the nine novices. They had gone after her, only to realize that she would remain a little out of reach each time any got close. She was impossible to capture. In reality, the one they chased wasn't really in front of them anymore, what they chased was a clone. In truth, she was hidden behind the team leaders, a devious smirk on her face.

"Aa, Kagome-chan, what are you planning to do with my cute students?" Strolling through the woods in a decidedly leisurely pace, the experienced nin watched out for their students while the unofficial leader engaged in conversation with the trickster.

"To teach them a lesson. If I had been so inclined, I could have killed them earlier this morning." The other two jounin instructors frowned at her words. They were true. The few students who had sense her presence had dismissed her ability as threat.

The three jounin had fought her once…they too had underestimated her and learned their lesson…

Kagome watched Shippo yawn from the bed of leaves she had made for him in the tree's hollow. They were already a third of the way to the northern village. She wished that her Grandfather would had let her travel by herself, or if need be, had sent Anbu along with her. That way, they could have been at the village already, not lagging behind as they were.

"Mama?"

"Yes, my kit?"

"Do you think it's really demons at that village?" Green, green eyes watched her sleepily from the warm nest as she carded her fingers through russet hair.

"Mm, a part of me hopes not…yet another hopes yes. I do not wish for us to be the last. Even Naraku or Sou'unga I would welcome with open arms." As she spoke, her eyes fell onto the blue-eyed vessel of the Kyuubi who stood before the campfire below. Could they really be the last? Could the youkai, the demons, truly be gone? Could there be no more of what they once knew? Could they truly be the last?

"Who is she? She doesn't have a hite-ate!" Kiba growled from his seat at the campfire as he glared at a barely visible red sleeve from between the tree branches, unconscious of the fact that the one he spoke of could hear their every word clearly.

"She's the Hokage's granddaughter, Kagome-sama." Kurenai answered her student quietly as she stared into the flames of the campfire, thinking over as to why the Hokage had truly sent them with his grandchild.

"I thought Konohamaru was the old man's only grandchild." Naruto spoke up this time, curiosity dripping from his voice as he crouched down by the fire, attempting to warm his fingers.

"No. She's the child of his firstborn, Sayuri."

"The Lily of Lightening?" Similar masks of shock slid over the faces of the nine genin as they realized who _she _was the daughter of. The Lily of Lightening. A ninja of unsurpassed prowess, second only to her father.

"Then how come we never saw her at the Academy?" One of the few females, Sakura, spoke up in confusion. If Kagome was the daughter of Sayuri-sama, then why had she not gone to the Academy and trained as they did?

"Kagome-sama grew up on a shrine. She is a true Miko. We are blessed to have her." Once again, it was Kurenai who answered the questions of the students as the two other jounin were engrossed in their own thoughts.

"I though mikos were supposed to be peaceful." The only Uchiha glared up at the tree where the supposed miko was resting with the young child.

"They were originally warriors, keepers of the balance, they-" Kurenai would have gone on if not for the interruption by the enthusiastic Maito Gai.

"Kagome-hime is so youthful!"

* * *

**Author's Note: **

**Gasp! An update! Thank you everyone who reviewed and favorite! For everyone's knowledge, this may turn into a KagomexHarem pairing due to the fact that I honestly am not quite sure with whom I'll end up pairing her with that'll advance the story line adequately. Enjoy!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary:** Few now remembered what once was. History became legend, legend became myth, and then, myth was forgotten. Few now lived that remembered the truth of what had happened.

**Pairings:** KagomeHarem

**Warnings:** Slight Language

**Chapter Three**

* * *

They were half a day from the small village when Kagome picked up the unmistakable feel of youki. Her pace quickened, startling the ninja who traveled alongside her. The genin would be able to keep up with her pace, a part of her remembered that they were only human and so very young at that, and so did not fly across the land as she wished, but kept a manageable pace. Even so, when they arrived at the village in a scant few hours, the young ninja were exhausted while their seniors and Kagome were barely tired.

The earth itself permeated youki. There were youkai yet in the world!

Her senses stretched out to find the youkai responsible for the power, yet could not find any powerful enough to have caused it to _seep _into the very earth. Oh, there were low level youkai present, but no youkai present powerful enough. Kagome's lip curled back to reveal a fanged smile as she looked out from the entrance to the village as the Konoha nin entered.

_They were not the last!_

* * *

"Why the hell did she have to speed up? Argh, I don't think I can move. Teme, I'm dying!" Naruto was splayed on one of the beds in the room where the six genin males were staying during their as of yet still unexplained mission to the small village.

"That bitch! I can't feel my legs!" Moaned Kiba from the floor, he did not have the energy to even climb into one of the soft beds a few feet from the floor.

"…She wasn't going as fast as she could…" The eyes of the two moaning males turned towards Sasuke who was sitting on the windowsill, cooling his still heated forehead with the window's glass.

"You're joking." Deadpanned Naruto as he painfully lifted himself up on his elbows to stare at the Uchiha, not believing the words of his teammate. That…that…_monster _couldn't have been taking it easy on them…right?

"I'm not, Dobe."

"As much I hate to agree with Uchiha, he has a point." Neji spoke up from where he was beginning to divest himself of his clothing and gather his bathing supplies as his teammate, one of the few who were not completely exhausted, Rock Lee followed suit.

"You can't be serious!" Naruto shot out of his bed after hearing that a _Hyuuga_ agreed with a _Uchiha_, it seemed that all manner of strange things were happening recently. Maybe Kakashi would remove his mask too then? And then Kyuubi would roll over and be kind to him? Yeah right.

"She could have easier gone faster. Why? Because she was not pumping chakra into her legs." Those were the first words that Shino spoke about the strange female that accompanied them and from the look on Neji's face, the Hyuuga agreed with the bug-user.

* * *

Kagome sat on the village walls, the elders of the village had told them that the killings usually occurred during the night, so she was standing guard. Shippo she had left in their room, various Seals she had placed in and around the room left to protect him and warn her if anyone came close, since the kit was tired already from their journey and also so she could focus her senses on finding any youkai that sauntered close to the village. During the journey, she had been able to ward off any questions from the curious nin about her son, mainly due to remaining near the jounin and sending off clones of herself to taunt the genin into chasing her but never catching her.

With a sigh, Kagome released her hold on one of the Seals binding her power. Her eyes slit, nails sharpened and canines lengthened in a mere moment. The youkai, when they came, would not be able to escape her.


End file.
